When I was younger, I wanted to live on Hog Jowl Road. I mean, what a great address that would be!

But, alas, Hog Jowl is just a little too far out for me for activities like trips to the gym and doctor’s offices and grocery stores and downtown Chattanooga. But I do visit on days like today. Beautifully-clear fall days when there is leaf color singing to the brilliant blue sky.

I began my leaf-peeping drive on Cove Road.

And when I’m on Cove Road on a pretty day, that means a stop by Cove Methodist Church.

Some trees aren’t quite at peak color, but there was still a little color here.

I went on through David Crossroads and followed Hog Jowl Road, which might be the prettiest road in Walker County.

To my surprise, I came across a couple of cotton fields. I’m used to seeing lots of cotton fields this time of year in Middle and South Georgia, but not up here in Northwest Georgia.

This black angus found it interesting that I’d pulled off the road and was taking pictures across the way of the cotton field. One side of the road was beef cattle, the other side was cotton.

And a little further down the cotton side of the road was dairy cattle. Cotton, beef, dairy—all on a small stretch of Hog Jowl Road.

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I drove on to the end of Hog Jowl where it comes out at the entrance of Mountain Cove Farms. There’s a pretty line of trees leading into the farm area, and though the trees were still mostly green, it’s always a pretty view here.

And the view to the west and Lookout Mountain is nice, too.

I thought I could see some color up ahead where Daughtery Gap goes through the end of the cove up Lookout Mountain to the top.

I was right. It was pretty all the way to the top.

Though most of the trees aren’t quite at peak color, there’s not a better Sunday drive in Walker County than the one I took this morning.

Brilliant autumn days don’t come along that often, so I knew I had to get out and enjoy this one. Back when I was younger and able to hike, I’d have been hiking the Rim Trail at Cloudland Canyon State Park, not far from here. But nowadays a drive is what I can do. I’m still hopeful that a little hiking is in my future.

Until then, a Sunday autumn drive through “The Cove” will do.